Ram Navami

Ram Navami also known as Sri Rama Navami is a Hindu festival, celebrating the birth of Lord Rama to KingDasharatha and Queen Kausalya of Ayodhya. Ram is the 7th incarnation of the Dashavatara of Vishnu Years later Lord Rama was married to Sita on the Vivaha Panchami. The sacred marriage of Devi Sita with Lord Rama was held on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami as per Valmiki Ramayana (This occasion is known as Seetha kalyanam). The SreeRama Navami festival falls in the Shukla Paksha on the Navami, the ninth day of the month of Chaitra in the Hindu calendar. Thus it is also known as Chaitra Masa Suklapaksha Navami, and marks the end of the nine-day Chaitra-Navratri celebrations. At some places the festival lasts the whole nine days of the Navratras, thus the period is called 'Sri Rama Navratra' It is marked by continuous recitals, Akhand Paath, mostly of the Ramacharitamanas, organized several days in advance to culminate on this day, with elaborate bhajan, kirtan and distribution of prasad after thepuja and aarti. Images of infant form of Sri Rama are placed on cradles and rocked by devotees. Since Rama is the 7th incarnation of Vishnu having born at noon, temples and family shrines are elaborately decorated and traditional prayers are chanted together by the family in the morning. Also, at temples special havans are organized, along with Vedic chanting of Vedic mantras and offerings of fruits and flowers. Many followers mark this day by Vrata (fasting) through the day followed by feasting in the evening, or at the culmination of celebrations In South India,in Bhadrachalam the day is also celebrated as the wedding anniversary of Sri Rama and his consort Sita. Sitarama Kalyanam, the ceremonial wedding ceremony of the celestial couple is held at temples throughout the south region, with great fanfare and accompanied by group chanting of name of Rama, (Rama nama smaranam). Whereas the marriage is celebrated in Mithila and Ayodhya during another day onVivaha Panchami as per Valmiki Ramayana. The important celebrations on this day take place at Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh), Bhadrachalam (Andhra Pradesh) and Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu), thronged by thousands of devotees. Rathayatras, the chariot processions, also known as Shobha yatras of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman, are taken out at several places including Ayodhya where thousands of people take a dip in the sacred river Sarayu.

20 places must see

1. The Amazon Regardless of which country you go to to see it--Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, or French Guiana--considering it's the largest rainforest in the world and houses millions of unique creatures rarely found anywhere else, it's worth seeing for thousands of reasons. 2. Antelope Canyon You might think the Grand Canyon is the only canyon you need to see in the US, but really, consider Antelope Canyon, which is conveniently also located in Arizona. Antelope Canyon was created through rivers and streams eroding the sandstone, and it makes for a wholly awesome experience where you can just saunter through miles of them. 3. Uluru (Ayers Rock) Located in the middle of the Australian Outback, you probably recognize this one from The Adventurers Down Under. In real life, though, it's even more amazing. However, you'll find that flying on an eagle's back makes it much easier to access, as it's actually more than 280 miles outside of any significant town (Alice Springs). 4. Bora Bora Located in French Polynesia in the South Pacific, Bora Bora is well-known as one of the most beautiful islands in the world. With crystal clear waters and awesome accommodations, there's no way to avoid this one. 5. Victoria Falls Victoria Falls, between Zambia and Zimbabwe, is (debatably) the largest waterfall in the world, with a width of 5604ft (1708m) and a height of 354ft (108m), and a much better choice than Niagara Falls. 6. Norwegian Fjords Norway has one of the longest coastlines in the world, but almost certainly the most interesting. Its eastern coast is riddled with hundreds of jagged inlets, jutting right into the inland of the country. The formations within them as well as the views from them are among the most mesmerizing around. 7. Santorini Santorini is an island off the coast of Greece, thousands of years ago the site of one of the largest volcanic explosions in history. Today it plays home to spectacular views, crazy architecture, and a storied history (supposedly the same eruption that destroyed it led to the legend of Atlantis). 8. Iceland Iceland features some of the most alien landscapes in the world, from huge, partially frozen waterfalls, to the Northern Lights and insane sunsets and sunrises, to miles of barren tundra; not to mention an outgoing population who's down to party. 9. Moraine Lake You'd think a lake is a lake, but surely not. At least not Moraine Lake. Up in Alberta, Canada, Moraine is uniquely astounding because when it's full, the intensely light rock from the surrounding mountains refracts, creating a neon, mind-blowing shade of blue. Plus, you know, the whole area is pretty amazing in the first place. 10. Petra Built around 1200BC, Petra is an ancient city of Jordan, renowned not just for the fact that it's entirely built inside "towering rocks," but for its intricacies therein. The city was able to constructed in the desert because its designers, the Nabataeans, redirected waterways, creating an artificial oasis--the center of their caravan trade, and a fortress. 11. Machu Picchu Located almost eight thousand feet above sea level in Peru, Machu Picchu is one of the most amazing feats of architecture in the world. While you might think it's a pretty weird place to put a city, you'd be wrong: most believe it was an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti, who really must've need to take some time away from it all. 12. Plitvice Plitvice is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe, and the largest in Croatia. Its views are something that few would expect in Europe at all, and the fact that it remains relatively untouched (aside from a few walkways), makes it all the better. 13. Great Barrier Reef Composed of over 2900 individual reefs, the Great Barrier Reef is the largest of its kind in the world--so large it can be seen from outer space--and also the "biggest single structure made by living organisms." Due to coral bleaching from pollution, this is a site to see asap. 14. Sistine Chapel Honestly, with some of the most prominent works by some of the most famous Renaissance artists--like Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, and Pietro Perugino--how could you not want to take a quick look at the Sistine Chapel? I mean, it's in Vatican City, which is pretty worth checking out on its own. 15. Stonehenge theories surrounding Stonehenge, it seems pretty likely that it'll have to do with the apocalypse anyway, so you might as well see the harbinger in person before it all goes to hell. 16. Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal is considered "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage," which should be reason enough to visit its vaulted walls and beautiful gardens; but what's more, it was built from 1632-1653 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Now that is some serious devotion. 17. Palace of Versailles The pinnacle of absolute monarchy and the indulgence of the ancien régime in France, Louis XIV transformed this former hunting lodge into one of the most expansive palaces in the world. So indulgent was it, in fact, that Louis had all records of how much it originally cost to build destroyed, though the estimates range from $2 billion up to almost $300 billion in today's dollars. 18. Great Wall of China Construction of the Great Wall began in the 7th century BC and continued for hundreds of years. It's the longest fortification ever built, constructed to thwart invasions of Mongolian and Manchu enemies. At its height (well, length), it was more than 3700 miles (6000km) long. 19. Angkor Wat Angkor Wat is a temple complex surrounded by a moat, built by Cambodian king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century to serve as the state temple and capital city. The symmetry and "harmony" of its design has been compared to the most famous architecture of ancient Greece and the Romans. 20. Church of Our Virgin Mary of Zion Located in Axum, Ethiopia, this site is important--like Stonehenge--when we're talking about the apocalypse. Contained within this tiny structure is supposedly the Ark of the Covenant, aka where the tablet with the Ten Commandments is supposed to be. Something crazy will probably go down here before the end of the world

PALITANA THE JAIN PILGRIMAGE CENTER

Sending something interesting to you !!! PALITANA THE JAIN PILGRIMAGE CENTER THE MARVEL OF JAINISM AND THE RELIGIOUS ART [1] PALITANA IS THE LARGEST AND THE GREATEST JAIN SACRED PILGRIMAGE CENTER IN THE WORLD. [2] THE PALITANA HILLS IS PLACE FROM WHERE MILLIONS OF SOULS ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE ACHIEVED NIRAVANA OR ULTIMATE AND EVERLASTING LIBERATION WITH INFINITE KNOWLEDGE, INFINTE PERCEPTION, INFINTE ENERGY AND INFINITE SPIRITUAL HAPPINESS. [3] PALITANA IS A CITY IN BHAVANGAR DISTRICT OF STATE OF GUJARAT, IN INDIA. IT IS SITUATED ABOUT FIFTY KILOMETERS SOUTHWEST OF BHAVNAGAR CITY. . [4] THE TEMPLE COMPLEX OF PALITANA IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND CONSIDERED THE MOST SACRED PILGRIMAGE PLACE BY THE JAINS ALL OVER THE WORLD. THERE ARE SOME 3000 EXQUISITE TEMPLES WITH MARVELLOUS ART ON SHATRUNJAY HILLS. THE FIRST TIRTHANKAR LORD ADINATHA OR RISHABHDEVA HAS THE MOST PRONOUNCED PLACEMENT. [5] ON TOP OF THE SHATRUNJAYA HILL IS A CLUSTER OF JAIN TEMPLES BUILT OVER SOME 900 YEARS BY GENERATIONS OF JAINS STARTING FROM 11TH CENTURY [6] FROM THE FOOT OF THE HILL TO THE TOP THERE ARE MORE THAN 3,800 STONE STEPS CARVED OUT FROM ROCKS TO FACILITATE CLIMBING IN 13TH CENTURY [7] THE TEMPLES ARE EXQUISITELY CARVED IN MARBLE RESEMBLING IVORY IN LOOK. THE LEADING TEMPLE IS OF LORD ADISHWAR. [8] THIS TEMPLE HAS A FABULOUS COLLECTION OF EXPENSIVE JEWELS DEDICATED BY RICH JAIN PATRONS. [9] THE TEMPLES DATE FROM 11th TO THE 20th CENTURY [10] THE DAY OF THE FAGUN SUD 13th FALLING SOMEWHERE IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH IS THE MOST VISITED AND CROWDED DAY [11] A JAIN ASPIRES TO CLIMB TO THE TOP OF MOUNTAIN ONCE IN HIS LIFE TIME [12] MOTI SHAH TOONK(TEMPLE) AT THE TOP OF THE SIDDHACHA HILLS [13] THE CLIMB MUST BEGIN IN EARLY MORNING AND RETURN DESCENT MUST BE COMPLETED IN EVENING. NO STAYING OVERNIGHT [14] SOME FACTS ABOUT PALITANA. SHETRUNJAY TEMPLES; STEPS TO CLIMB: 3364 HEIGHT: 2000 FEET. WALKING: 7.5 MILES. PRATIMA OR IDOLS ARE 27007 IN JINMANDIR OR TEMPLES TOTALLING 3507 [15] THERE ARE MORE THAN 27000 IDOLS OF JAIN GODS ON THIS MOUNTAIN ALONE [16] OVERNIGHT STAY IS FORBIDDEN FOR ALL HUMANS AS IT IS PEACEFUL RESTING PLACE FOR GODS [17] THERE ARE TWO SUMMITS WITH 900 TEMPLES WITH EXTRAORDINARY ART AND SCULPTURE

INDIA"S SIX RICHEST DEITIES

INDIA"S SIX RICHEST DEITIES

The richest temples: Investigators plan to pry open the final vault hidden deep under the centuries-old Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple as police guarded round the clock the shrine where billions of dollars worth of treasure has been discovered. Over the last week a seven-member team of investigators has broken into five of the six secret subterranean vaults piled high with jewels that have lain untouched for hundreds of years.

Padmanabhaswamy Kshetram : The temple that houses a sleeping idol of Lord Vishnu is the richest temple in the world. Treasure worth Rs 100,000 crore was recently found in secret chambers on temple land. Golden crowns, 17 kg of gold coins, 18 ft long golden necklace weighing 2.5 kg, gold ropes, sack full of diamonds, thousands of pieces of antique jewellery, and golden vessels were some of the treasures unearthed during the weekend.

Tirumala Tirupathi Venkateshwara : With an annual income of Rs 650 crore, Tirupathi Balaji is the second richest deity in India. The temple has over 3000 kgs of gold deposited in different banks and Rs 1000 crore in fixed deposits. The temple trust receives around Rs 300 crore, 350 kg of gold and 500 kg of silver as donations every year.

Shri Sai Sansthan Shirdi : The famous pilgrim centre of Shri Saibaba temple in Shirdi, one of the richest temples in Maharashtra, has ornaments and jewellery worth over Rs 32 crore and investments running into Rs. 450 crore according to official documents. The temple trust has gold worth Rs 24.41 crore, silver worth Rs 3.26 crore, silver coins worth Rs 6.12 lakh, gold coins worth Rs 1.288 crore and gold pendants worth Rs 1.123 crore. Annual revenue of the trust is approximately Rs 450 crore.

Mata Vaishno Devi: The second most visited temple in the country after Tirupathi Balaji, Vaishno Devi has an annual income of Rs 500 crore. Managed by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, popularly called the Shrine Board, the temple has a daily income of Rs 40 crore.

Siddhivinayak Mandir: Situated in the heart of Mumbai, the second richest temple in the state of Maharastra has an annual income of Rs 46 crore and has Rs 125 crore in fixed deposits. The temple known for its famous devotees receives around Rs 10-15 crore as donations every year. As per the financial records of Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust, the assets of the temple stood at approximately 140 crore for the year ended March 2009.

Guruvayur Temple: Run by a nine-member committee under the Kerala Dewaswom Board, the most famous Lord Krishna temple in South India makes Rs 2.5 crore annually and has approximately Rs 125 crore in fixed deposits. The most sought after puja at the temple, the Udayaasthamana Puja, has a wait list till 2049! The dawn to dusk puja costs Rs 50,000.

Buddha Purnima

Buddha Purnima is the birth anniversary of Lord Buddha. It falls on the full moon of the fourth lunar month (month of Vaisakh) i.e. April or May. This day commemorates three important events of Buddha's life
- His birth in 623 BC.
- His enlightment i.e. attainment of supreme wisdom, in 588 BC.
- His attainment of Nirvana i.e. the complete extinction of his self at the age of 80.